Letters
Lazy Sunday: Rom Com Double Feature
Dear Kay,
Aw, it’s Valentine’s Day. Galentine’s Day. Palentine’s. Vowelentine’s. Owlentine’s. Cowlentine’s. Whatever you’re feeling today, here’s to ya!
(Been playing too much Spelling Bee, in case you can’t tell.)
I am an unapologetic fan of romantic comedies. Some people like mysteries. Some people like thrillers. I love a storyline that ends well, with a ton of intrigue and crossed wires and standing on top of the Empire State Building wondering if Cary Grant—or Tom Hanks, if you’re going with the Sleepless in Seattle version—is going to show up.
At our morning Zoom, I polled the team for rom com suggestions, and instantly there was a ton of love expressed for two movies.
Rom Com No. 1
Always Be My Maybe, a 2019 hit on Neflix. Don’t even watch the trailer above—just get over to Netflix where you will find Randall Park and Ali Wong (also the director) being completely adorable for one hour and 42 minutes.
Rom Com No. 2
Someone Great. Another 2019 Netflix winner—three friends being awesome to each other, helping one of them through a gruesome breakup. With an epic romp in New York. Here’s the trailer, but really, trailers give away too much these days. Just hop over to Netflix.
And if you want to go for 24/7 rom com immersion, here’s a great set of rom coms curated by (yes) Good Housekeeping. Happy to discover a bunch of new ones, and I thought I’d seen them all.
Happy Scowlentine’s Day! Or Growlentine’s Day! Or, even, Valentine’s Day!
Love love love,
Ann
Always Be My Maybe is charming— A go to feel good movie. And the cameo in it is such a hoot. I will have to check out your other recommendation. Happy Valentine’s Day!
My favorite New’s Eve movie, When Harry Met Sally, which I have been to busy to watch so far this year…
Thank you! My personal all time favorite is Barefoot in the Park, that oldie starring Jane Fonda & Robert Redford – sigh!!!
Glad to know MDK has Spelling Bee fans!
I think “Muriel’s Wedding” should be on this list…
Absolutely! I’ve seen it so many times I laugh before the funny scene but forgot about it lately. Time to watch again.
Love, love, love that you play Spelling Bee!
Love the Spelling Bee! It’s a bonus if I find a knitting word!
As Good As It Gets with Jack Nicholson gets my vote for best romcom. A great illustration of the messy, unplanned, haphazard reality of our relationships as humans. Love ain’t always pretty but it usually is pretty funny.
I love Notting Hill not only for the awkward and charming Hugh Grant but that great group of friends who support him.
Well, I will always choose the one where NO ONE ends up happy, so “Brief Encounter” for everyone!
My all-time fave as well. Celia Johnson + Trevor Howard + David Lean + Noel Coward + Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto #2 = CAN”T LOSE!
My all time fave!
I haven’t seen either of these so now I know what to settle in with today.
As soon as I’m done rocking today’s Spelling Bee!
I love that you love Spelling Bee. It’s part of my morning breakfast ritual now. And I just added your movie suggestions to my queue. Thanks!
If you want several seasons of rom-com goodness in a TV series, watch the star of Something Great Gina Rodriguez in the telenovella-esque series Jane the Virgin. Love, romance, comedy, male cheesecake, family loyalty, all wrapped up in a bow. All time favorite that will last beyond Valentine’s Day.
Pantry stocked, heading into another week of winter weather, so this is the perfect article to bookmark so I can veg out and watch romance all week.
And Spelling Bee is (luckily) the worst addiction I developed during this whole pandemic thing!
Spelling Bee! Love that game. Thx for the rom-coms; I’ve seen the first but not the second. Sounds like great treadmill fare, now that I’m done with Bridgerton!
All these newer rom-coms are good, but, in my very humble opinion, nothing beats a good rom-com from the Golden Era of Hollywood. One of my absolute favorites is “The More the Merrier” with Jean Arthur, Joel McCrae, and Charles Coburn. It has one of the most sensual, while being 100% rated G (or maybe just a little bit PG), love scenes ever. There was a remake of this movie titled “Walk, Don’t Run” with Cary Grant (in his very last movie role), Jim Hutton, and Samantha Eggert. It’s also very good, but I do like the original just a little bit better.
OMG spelling bee … quite an addiction!!
High Note is a fab rom com, fam com, all com! Highly recommend.
I play Spelling Bee every day–so much fun and so challenging, though I’ve gotten Genius a few times. If I can hit “Amazing” by 10 pm I’m good. 🙂
Always Be My Maybe is adorable, and I’ve never heard of Someone Great but it also looks good. Goin’ to Netflix now….
I really enjoy your newsy news!
But … when will Field Guides subscription be available in Australia? Soon, I hope.
Now have my family hooked on Spelling Bee…glad I’m not the only one!